Inclosed-switch construction



UNITED STATES,

BENJAMIN E. GETCHELL, 0F PLAINVILLE, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR T0 BULL ELECTRIC MANUFACTURING COMPANY,

A CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT.

PATENT OFFICE.

or PLAINVILLE, CONNECTICUT,

I INCLOSED-SWITCH CONSTRUCTION.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN E. GET- OHIELL, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Plainville, Conn. have invented a new and useful Inclo edwitch Construction, of which the folldwing is a specification.

y invention relates particularly to the mechanism for operating the switch.

The main object is to provide a simple and durable construction for producing positive make and quick break action in closing and opening the switch, that is, so that when the. operator starts to close or open the switch, the switch blades immediately leave the control of'the operator as soon as they start movement and automatically open or close quickly and positively.

The invention is particularly directed to inclosed switches of the safety type in which it is impossible to open the box when current is on and impossible to close the circuit when the boxis open.

The preferred form of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying two sheets of drawings V v Figure 1, is a plan view showing parts of the switch in the closed circuit position but with the cover omitted.

Fig. 2, is a side view of the same with the cover on.

Fig. 3, is a sectional viewtaken through the axis of the operating device on the plane of the line 33 of Fi 2.

Figs. 4 and 5 are .ace views respectively of two of the parts of the operating mechanism.

Fig. 6, is a side view of themechanism in the open circuit position the cover being omitted.

Fig. 7, is a side view of the switch parts in the open circuit position.

Fig. 8, is a plan view of the handle.

Fig. 9, is a perspective view of the separated parts of the lost motion connection.

Figs. 3, 4, 5. and 8 are fullsized views, whereas the others are on areduced scale.

The switch mechanism itself may be of any suitable type and has "one or more stationary contacts 10 and one or more hinged blade members 11. In this case two contacts and blades are shown and the blades are connected by an insulating cross piece 12.

The switch parts are mounted on an in- I Specification of Letters Patent.

. the crank shaft 17. This Patented Oct. 11, 1921. Application filed August 16, 1919. Serial m.e17,s79.

run more oted in one side of the box and the other end 4 secured in a hub 18 in th the box. A loop member 19 is secured to the lnsulating cross bar 12 and surrounds shaft has a limited freedom of movement with relation to the loop member 19 but parts so as to tend to hold therh in the relative positions shown in Fig. 7. e

The handle 21 and operating member 22 are plvotally secured to the outer face of the hub 18 by a bolt 23. The handle is provided with oppositely facing shoulders 24 and 25 and the hub 18 is provided with similarly disposed oppositely facing shoulders 26 and. 27, while the operating member 22 is provided with oppositely facing flanges which furnish oppositely facin 28 and 29 which 21 and hub 18, the shoulders overlap parts 0 the handle as shown in Fig. 3 between spring 30 is a spring 20 connects the shoulders latter 1s pivotally connected at 32 to the operating member 22 and slides at its opposite end in a stationary bracket 33.' The spring is compressed between the bracket and the shoulder 34 on the rod 31 and tends to throw the operating member 22 into the position shown in Fig. 2 or the position shown in Fig. 6 depending upon whether the center of the pin 32 is above or below the central plane of the axis of the hub 18 and the center of the guide bracket 33.

When the handle 21 is swung upward and to the'left from the position shown in Fig.

2,.the shoulder 24 engages the shoulder 28 and tilts the operating member 22 and-in turn the shoulder 29 picks up the shoulder 27 of the hub 18 The spring 20 is preferably not sufiiciently strong to overcome the friction of the contacts 10 and blades 11. As a'result the blades lag behind until the shaft 17 engages the upper part of the 19 and form ly starts to raise the blades. t just about this point the pin 32 passes below 7 the hub 18 and the pressure of the spring 30 is immediately exerted to tilt the operatand thus raises the crank 17 the central plane of ing member 22 anti-clockwise and suddenly turn the hub 18 and crank 17 and withdraw the blade 11 from the contacts with a very quick action entirely out of the control of the operating handle and the operator. As soon as the blades 11 are free of the contacts 10, the spring 20 exerts its tension to hasten the movement toward the crank shaft 17 so that the spring 20 supplements the spring 30 in the opening action. In closing the switch the operation is similar but in the reverse order from the position shown as \shown,

in Fig. 6, the shoulder picking up the shoulder 29 and the shoulder 28 picking up the shoulder 26 of the switch hub. An insulating stop 36 of. yielding material, such as fiber, may be provided to take up the shock of the blades when closing the circuit.

A stop 37 on the inside of the box is provided to limit the movement of the crank shaft 17 in opening the switch.

When the switch on a projection 38 from the side of the box. This projection and the projection 39 from the handle may be provided with openings, i to receive the hasp of a padlock 40 for locking the handle with the switch closed. The handle may also be provided with a slotted portion 41 to'lock the parts in the open circuit position as shown in .the' Sutherland Patent #1,288,739 of December 21th, 1918.

I claim:

1. In an inclosed switch, a switch box, a base mounted in said box, a plurality of stationary contacts mounted on said base,

' a plurality of movable switch blades for coconnecting said operation with said stationary contacts, a

crankshaft mounted in said box and having a lost motion connection with the movable switch blades, a sprin inside said box for era and said movable switch blades, a handle mounted outside of saidbox, an operating member having a lost motion connection between said handle ,and said crankshaft, a second spring mounted outside of said box and cooperating with said operating member,.said external spring and operating member and said interior spring co-acting to snap said switch blades to the off position when the movement of said operating member is initiated by. said handle.

,2. In an electric switch, an insulating is in the closed circuit position of Figs. 1 and 2, the handle rests switch base, a plurality of stationary contacts mounted on said base, a plurality of movable switch blades for cooperation with said stationary contacts, said switch blades being movable in a direction transverse to said base, a shock absorbing bar mounted on said base adjacent said stationary contacts and in the path of movement of said transversely movable blades for cushioning the latter as they engage said stationary contacts, and means for operating said blades.

3. An inclosed switch comprising a box containing the switch contacts, a hub pivoted in one side of the box, a crank shaft connected to said hub at one end and having its opposite end pivoted in the opposite side of the box, a spring pressed operating member and a handle mounted concentrically with said hub, said operating member having a lost motion connection with said handle and with said hub.

1. In an inclosed switch, a box, a switch within the box, a crank within the box and having operable connection with said switch, a hub journaled in one side of the box supporting one end of said crank and having shoulders, a spring pressed intermediate member mounted co-axially with the hub member and having shoulders for a lost motion engagement with the shoulders on said hub member, a handle-mounted co-axially with said hub and intermediate members and having shoulders for a lost motion engagement with the shoulders on the intermediate member.

5. In an inclosed switch, a box, a switch within the box, a crank within the box and having operable engagement with. said switch and a hub mounted in one side of the box supporting one end of said crank and having shoulders, an intermediate member mounted co-axially with the hub member outside of the box and having shoulders for lost motion engagement with the shoul-' ders on the hub member and an extended arm, a handle member mounted co-axially with the hub and intermediate members and having ment with the shoulders on the intermediate member, a rod pivoted to the arm of the intermediate member, a stationary guide for. said rod and a spring on said rod, the said spring being adapted to force the arm on the intermediate member away from a cen tral position.

6. In a switch of the inclosed type, a box, a switch .within the box, a crank within the box and having operable connection with said switch, a hub journaled in one side of the box and having rigid connection with the said crank and having shoulders, an intermediate member mounted on said hub outside the box and having shoulders for lost motion englagement with the shoulders on the hub an having an extended arm, a banshoulders for lost motion engagedle member also mounted on the hub and having shoulders for lost motion engagement with the shoulders on the intermediate member and spring means bearing against the arm of the intermediate member to force said arm away from the central rotary position.

7. In an inclosed switch, a box, a switch within the box, a hub mounted in the side of the box, a crank within the box pivoted to the box at one end and having a rigid connection with the hub at the other end, an intermediate member and a handle member mounted concentrically with the hub, the said hub, intermediate member and handle members being provided with shoulders for a lost motion inter-engagement and said inpivoted to said arm, a stationary guide for one end of the rod and an expansion spring on the rod between the stationary guide and the arm on the intermediate member.

BENJAMIN E. GETCHELL.

.termediate member having an arm, a rod 

